I’ve been in too many shops that fail to capitalize on showing their level of expertise to their customer by the way they take equipment in for service. Don’t let just anyone in the shop take equipment in, they should be well versed in what services are offered and the benefits of each service. They also need to know what questions need to be asked and how to inspect the equipment. Here are some ideas to get you started in the right direction

Ask questions!!
How are they working for you?
What problems have you had?
When was the last time the equipment tuned or bindings calibrated?
Discuss the customers’ expectations from the tune.
Thoroughly inspect the equipment with the customer
Inspect with a true bar.
Show the customer the condition of the base and edges, pointing out damage and wear.
Relate the condition of the equipment to problems they may be having.
i.e. concave base=hooky or grabby
Inspect the bindings for damage.
Inspect for serious damage such as de-lams, broken edges, core shots, etc.
Check for bent or twisted skis.
Check for damage to the top sheet
Check the edges and base for thickness to make sure there is enough left to tune.
New edge material is generally between 1.5 – 1.8 mm, if there is less than 1.0 mm tune with caution
Look for discoloration in the base, usually in the tip and tail area.
Advise the customer if any problems are seen.
Check the amount of detune so it can be reproduced if necessary.
Based on the condition of the ski/board recommend the appropriate level of repair
Full Service
Full width extrusion of polyethylene to fill in all damaged areas, stone grind the base flat and structure, side and base edges sharpened to appropriate angles, deburred, detuned, waxed and brushed.
Standard Service
Selective base repair, stone grind the base flat and structure, side and base edges sharpened to appropriate angles, deburred, detuned, waxed and brushed.
Express
Edge and wax
Custom Work
Base patch, edge replacement, custom wax and structure, etc.
Explain every step of the repair to the customer
General statements will only depreciate the service. The actual time, amount of work, know how, and amount of machinery involved are not clearly evident to the customer.
Explain in detail why you have recommended the level of service to be done and what it is going to do to correct their issues.